Teachers named for state group

TONASKET  Three area teachers were recently selected to be a part of the State Educators Network, which will assist in the transition to the new Common Core standards and accom-panying tests.

Julie Conkle, from Tonasket, Lisa Baum, from Okanogan, and Heather Alexander, from Orient, were among the 92 educators that were selected from a pool of 350 applicants in the state.

Across the nation, thousands of teachers applied to be a part of the network.

“To think that only 2,000 teachers across the United States were chosen and a third-grade teacher from the small town of Tonasket, Wash. was one of them is truly an honor that is beyond words,” Conkle said.

Conkle said the first part of her role with the State Educators Network will be submitting and reviewing assessments, classroom materials that reflect teaching and learning for the Common Core standards.

She said she has a set of guidelines to follow showing how submitted materials line up with Common Core and how they also have been proven to be effective teaching and learning tools.

She said the best part about being a member of the State Educators Network is that she will gain first-hand knowledge and insight to materials and resources that can be used within the Tonasket School District, where she has taught for the past 10 years.

She said the chance to further her own education was a big reason she decided to apply.

“I want to be the best teacher I can be and help my students succeed,” she said. “Parents trust me to show their children the information they need to be responsible and informed citizens.”